Film / AV Production Subsector
Are you working on a short feature film, documentary, animated film, innovative media production, or a drama, documentary, or animated series? Are you a freelancer, or do you occasionally hire one? If so, it is important to consider fair pay. Since 2025, concrete guidelines have been in place for matters such as minimum freelance starting rates. Please consult the fair pay guidelines for film and AV production.
The film and AV production sector and fair pay.
Many disciplines converge in film and AV production. In addition to creative professionals, numerous technical and production professionals make their own specific contributions to a final product.
Many parties and interests are involved in the financing and exploitation of film and AV productions, ranging from co-producers, funds, and distributors to broadcasters, streaming services, cinemas, and film theaters. How these parties contribute to financing and exploitation significantly influences the (hourly) rates of nearly all professionals in the chain.
To make the sector future-proof, better and more appropriate working conditions are required. A more equitable negotiating position is also needed between workers and employers, as well as between employers and involved financiers. Because clear guidelines and work agreements were lacking for professionals involved in the production of short films, feature films, documentaries, animations, innovative media productions, and series, the Film/AV chain table has been working on their development since 2022.
About the Film/AV chain table
The Film/AV Chain Table was established in September 2022. This table brings together 21 representatives of workers from various fields within the production chain, along with representatives of producers, the public broadcaster (as a client), and trade unions.
Under the leadership of independent chair Doreen Boonekamp, an expert and independent strategic advisor, the participants of the chain table develop concrete fair pay guidelines for application in professional practice. This is done based on bottleneck analyses, with the help of external research and through independent monitoring.
Examples from comparable sectors within the cultural and creative industries are used for this purpose. This chain table is made possible in part by the Netherlands Film Fund.
Tools & downloads
General glossary
While you begin working with the tools listed below, you can find an explanation here for terms that may be unclear.
Manual for applying freelance starting rates
The manual explains how to use the tools in six steps to reach an opening bid when negotiating your work within a production.
This concerns:
– Assignment Compass
– Timesheets for freelance assignments
– Benchmark study ‘From wage to freelance starting rate’ and matrix
Assignment Compass and Role Guide
The Assignment Compass helps determine the level of complexity of a specific assignment. This level is linked to a freelance starting rate in a Matrix.
Additionally, there is a guide describing the various roles.
Timesheets for freelance assignments
The timesheets for thirteen disciplines help freelancers, among others, estimate how much time they expect to spend effectively on core tasks as well as on preparatory and concluding work.
Guidelines for safe and healthy working
This guideline provides principles for ensuring the physical and psychosocial safety of contractors during development, pre-production, filming, and post-production in the film and AV sector.
Tables for freelance starting rates and salaries in Film/AV (cultural) productions
Here you will find the tables with fair pay freelance starting rates and a benchmark of salaries in Film/AV (cultural) productions through 2026.
Calculation tool
The calculation tool with fair pay freelance starting rates and a salary benchmark through 2026 will be released soon.
Photo credits: